Page Updated: 04/02/2008

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Michael Jecks - Page 3

The Mad Monk of Gidleigh The Devil's Acolyte The Sticklepath Strangler The Tournament of Blood The Boy Bishop's Glovemaker

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Paperback - Headline (2003)

The Mad Monk of Gidleigh
As the winter of 1323 descends on Dartmoor, life has never seemed so bleak to the young priest, Mark, in his isolated, windswept chapel. So who could blame him for accepting some longed-for companionship when it is offered by the local miller’s daughter, Mary? But when Mary and the unborn child she carried are found brutally murdered, it is obvious where the villagers will point the finger of blame.
However, investigators Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King’s Peace, and Bailiff Simon Puttock soon begin to have their doubts. It becomes clear that Mary was far from the simple village girl she seemed. What exactly was her relationship with the Squire of Gidleigh, Sir Ralph? Could he be responsible for her death?
Or perhaps it was Osbert, the mill-hand whose love she rejected time and again? In their search for the truth, Baldwin and Simon unwittingly put themselves in the greatest danger they have ever faced, and by the time the investigation is over, life for themselves and their families will never be the same again...
‘Tremendously successful’ Sunday Independent
‘Leaves the reader wanting more’ Yorkshire Post
‘Jecks writes with passion and historical accuracy. Devon and Cornwall do not seem the same after reading his dramatic tales’ Oxford Times

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First British Edition Headline (2002)

The Devil's Acolyte
Amidst the myth and folklore of Tavistock in 1322, one tale above all others strikes fear into the hearts of the town’s inhabitants - that of the murders on the Abbot’s Way.
One cold winter, many years ago, a young acolyte eager for distraction led a group of fellow novices in the theft of their abbot’s wine store. Later, crippled with guilt and fear of discovery, Milbrosa was driven to commit still more crimes in an effort to disguise his sins. But his soul had been destroyed with his first sip of illicit wine, and, as legend has it, the devil himself appeared to mete out his punishment, leading the unwitting Milbrosa and his cohorts to their deaths on the treacherous Devon moors.
Now, in the autumn of 1322 it looks as though history may be repeating itself. Abbot Robert has found his wine barrel empty, and a body has been discovered on the moors. Bailiff Simon Puttock, in Tavistock for the coining, is called upon to investigate, but the case seems only to get more complicated with time. It soon becomes apparent that it’s not just wine that’s gone missing from the abbey, and the body on the moor isn’t the last. With the arrival of Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King’s Peace, the townspeople hope the mystery will finally be solved - but do the terrors of the past provide the key to their present turmoil?

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Paperback - Headline (2002)

First British Edition Headline (2001)

The Sticklepath Strangler
As the summer of 1322 brings sun to the Devonshire countryside, it seems that the small village of Sticklepath is destined to remain in darkness. An afternoon of innocent adventure becomes one of gruesome terror when two playmates uncover the body of a young girl up can the moors. As the news spreads through the village, one name is on everyone’s lips. The body must be that of Aline, the ten-year-old daughter of Swetricus, who went missing six years ago.
Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King’s Peace, and his friend Bailiff Simon Puttock are summoned to the scene to investigate, but find their progress blocked at every turn. There seems to be an unspoken agreement amongst the villagers to ensure that the truth behind Aline’s death is never discovered. But what reason could they possibly have for shielding a murderer?
As the kings men slowly break down the wall of silence they discover that the village has plenty to hide. Aline is not the only young girl to have been found dead in recent years, and it seems that the villagers have been concealing not only a serial killer, but, judging by the state of the girls’ bodies, a possible case of cannibalism. Or, if the rumours are to be believed, a vampire! That would certainly explain the haunted looks in the eyes of so many villagers, and the strange noises heard late at night front the Sticklepath cemetery...

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First British Edition Headline (2001)

Paperback - Headline (2001)

The Tournament of Blood
Lord Hugh De Courtenay’s plan to host a tournament in the spring of 1322 is an opportunity the money-lenders of Oakhampton can’t afford to miss. When the defeated knights find themselves unable to pay the traditional ransoms to their captors, they will have only one avenue open to them - and will accrue interest by the hour. But for Benjamin Dudenay - to whom most of the knights in Devon are indebted - the tournament will yield no such riches. A month before the festivities, he is found dead in an alleyway - beaten to death in an attack which tells a tale of bitter hatred.
For Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King’s Peace, and his friend, Bailiff Simon Puttock, the priority is to complete the preparations for the tournament in time for Lord Hugh’s arrival. Not an easy task when Hal Sachevyll and Wymond Carpenter, commissioned to provide the all-important stands, seem more interested in saving on materials than building a safe structure.
But When Wymond is found dead, his injuries bearing all the hallmarks of those inflicted by Benjamin’s murderer, Sir Baldwin and Simon are faced with an additional problem: whoever killed the money-lender is not simply a debtor desperate to gain financial freedom, but a killer with a far greater and more sinister plan...
'An inventive plot, memorable characters, absorbing period background' Kirkus Reviews
Acclaim for Michael Jecks' previous mysteries
'The most wickedly plotted medieval mystery novels' The Times
'Tremendously successful medieval mystery series' Sunday Independent
'Brisk medieval whodunnit…' Literary Review
'A godly tale in the vein of Cadfael and equally enjoyable.' Ted Jury, Coventry Evening Telegraph
'A medieval mystery to rank with the best' Northern Echo
'Like Ellis Peters' Cadfael, Puttock is a carefully drawn character who combines the simple whodunit formula with a loving attention to detail, with lively, intriguing descriptions. It is a book that will help you turn back the pages of history and enjoy the depth and texture of a long-vanished England' Croydon Advertiser

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Paperback - Headline (2001)

First British Edition Headline (2000)

The Boy Bishop's Glovemaker
For Sir Baldwin Furnshill, Keeper of the King's Peace, and his friend, Bailiff Simon Puttock, the Christmas of 1321 looks set to be one of great festivity. As a reward for their services in a previous investigation, they've been summoned to Exeter to receive the prestigious gloves of honour in a ceremony led by the specially elected Boy Bishop. But the dead man swinging on the gallows as they arrive is a portentous greeting...
Within hours they learn that Ralph - the cathedral's glovemaker and the city's beloved philanthropist - has been robbed and stabbed to death. His apprentice is the obvious suspect but there's no trace of the missing jewels and money. When Peter, a Secondary at the cathedral, collapses from poisoning in the middle of Mass, the finger of suspicion turns to him. Yet if he was Ralph's attacker, where is the money now? And could Peter have committed suicide - or was he murdered, too?
When the Dean and city Coroner ask Simon and Baldwin to solve the riddles surrounding the deaths, they are initially reluctant, believing them to be unconnected. But as they dig for the truth they find that many of Exeter's leading citizens are not what - or who - they first seem to be, and that the city's Christmas bustle is concealing a ruthless murderer who is about to strike again...
Acclaim for Michael Jecks' previous mysteries
'One of the most wickedly plotted medieva mystery novels' The Times
'Brisk medieval whodunnit' Literary Review
A medieval West Country mystery that is a gem of historical storytelling. The hunt for the killer of a village wise woman has to share prominence with the authentic recreation of the modes and manners, superstitions and primitive fears that made up the colourful but brutal tableau of the Middle Ages.' The Northern Echo
'Tremendously successful medieval mystery series…' Sunday Independent
'A tortuous and exciting plot… The construction of the story and the sense of period are excellent' Shots

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